US Navy
Marine Species Monitoring
First drone tag drop!
It's been a long time coming but we finally have a new drone equipped to deploy suction cup tags on whales!
Researchers from HDR prepare to launch the new drone with a suction cup tag ready to be deployed.
Following in the pioneering footsteps of colleagues at Ocean Alliance, the HDR-led research team successfully deployed a digital archival fine-scale behavior tag on an endangered fin whale off the coast of Virginia last week. The tag is attached by suction cups and programmed to release the next day. The drop was successful on the first attempt and recovered as planned. This new capability allows us to deploy suction cup tags without the need to make close vessel approaches, reducing the chances of disturbing the whale and also increasing deployment opportunities.
This work is part of the Mid-Atlantic Nearshore & Mid-shelf Baleen Whale Monitoring project to better understand the behavioral ecology of protected marine species and ultimately improve understanding of how Navy training and testing activities might impact individuals, stocks, and populations. All scientific activities are conducted under NMFS scientific research permit #28184
